Boosting food production through phosphorus

Media Release

20 January 2015

- for immediate release

Boosting food production through phosphorus: Lincoln works with Chilean university

Lincoln University is joining forces with a prominent Chilean university research institute to address pressing issues involving the essential role of phosphorus in global food production.

Professor Leo Condron, of Lincoln University’s Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, recently spent six weeks at the Scientific and Technological Bioresources Nucleus (BIOREN) of the Universidad de La Frontera in Temuco, Chile, as part of a Biological Resource Management Fellowship funded by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

“The fellowship involved bringing together the complementary skills of Lincoln University and Universidad de La Frontera to investigate ways of improving the usability of phosphorus in agricultural systems,” said Professor Condron.

The productivity of ecosystems is largely determined by the presence of phosphorus in soil. However, the world’s known phosphorus reserves are steadily being depleted, and demand is expected to exceed supply within 100 years.

Most phosphorus applied as fertiliser is retained in soil, and these reserves can be used to assist with future requirements, but a large amount of this residual phosphorus is not readily available to plants.

A major reason for residual phosphorus being inaccessible involves the presence of certain minerals in acid soils, particularly a clay mineral called allophane, which is volcanic in origin.

Researchers from Chile and New Zealand are well-placed to investigate the issue, as volcanic soils make up about 40 percent of agricultural land in Chile, while acidity severely limits the productivity of hill and high country soils in New Zealand, which account for 75 percent of agricultural land.

“The main objective of the fellowship was to establish a series of experiments that would investigate the use of biotechnology tools to enhance the availability of phosphorus in a range of acid soils from Chile and New Zealand,” said Professor Condron.

Following his visit to Chile in November-to-December last year, Professor Condron has proposed a number of formal agreements between the two universities, including a joint graduation for PhD students at Lincoln and the Universidad de la Frontera.

“This will formalise research links between the institutions by allowing students to graduate from both universities if they have spent at least six months at the secondary institution,” he said.

Professor Condron is now formally involved in supervising several PhD students at the Universidad de la Frontera. First year Chilean PhD students Patricia Poblete Grant and Nicole Montablan Torres will spend three months at Lincoln University from April this year, and hope to be able to return for a further three months to be eligible for double graduation.

End

© Scoop Media